Acoustic Plasterboard vs Normal Plasterboard for Noise Reduction

Acoustics and insulation have always been frenemies.

That’s why people came up with numerous solutions how to keep them in balance. Particularly when there are factors we cannot influence.

Many different materials and their combinations have been used to reach the perfection in terms of sound.

After all, that’s one of the reasons my blog exists, to help all those dealing with wanted and unwanted sounds all around.

Plasterboard is becoming more and more popular, especially among DIY-ers. It replaced plaster or a combination of lath and plaster which were used to cover ceilings and stud partitioning.

There are all sorts of sound proof Gyprock plasterboards which makes the access to the equipment & installation a lot simpler. You won’t even need to hire anyone to get the work done for you.

Plasterboard also serves as a wall lining and one can attach it very simply.

It turned out as a rather useful component for soundproofing, which is why I shall introduce you to plasterboard, its types, and uses.

Get to know plasterboard

Plasterboard consists of an inner layer of gypsum (with water crystalline molecules) and outer layers of paper. Gypsum is sandwiched between layers of paper.

Depending on the additives found in gypsum as well as the weight of the paper, a finished board has various purposes. That means that some of them are fire-resistant, the others are excellent for soundproofing, and so on.

Therefore, you can see how plasterboards panels are made and that actually no matter the board thickness (or thin size) – they are ideal for noise reduction.

Different types of plasterboard and their uses

Each of the types has its own specific features, which makes it perfectly suitable in certain situations.

Which one will you pick depends exclusively on what you have in mind when it comes to insulation.

The most commonly known is a normal plasterboard. Don’t get confused!

Drywall, gypsum, sheetrock, all those are the names by which plasterboard is known. It increases the thickness of normal walls double, becoming even more fire and sound resistant.

You can paint and decorate on it but on either face. It is advisable to seal it prior to this.  

You can even put a skim plaster on it, as the paper on the front face is specifically designed for that purpose.

To start with the one we are most interested in, acoustic plasterboard is a thicker variant of normal plasterboard. Its core has a higher density which means it provides a good level of sound insulation.

If reinforced with another soundproof material (for example, fiberglass, mineral wool), it’s even more effective. The higher the mass of acoustic plasterboard is the better the soundproofing you get.

To get the most of it, you can insulate thin walls and ceilings, particularly in blocks of flats. You will find it very useful and effective.

Therefore, if your sole goal is to reduce the noise in your home – you shouldn’t mix these two as acoustic plasterboard thickness will always provide better results.

Besides this, you can use perforated and slotted mini grid plasterboard, which is excellent in absorbing echoes. This is due to its perforated structure.

Although dealing with the same issue (unwanted sounds), this type of plasterboard is not the same as acoustic plasterboard.

Moisture resistant plasterboard, enhanced with silicone or some other water repellent additives. This type is suitable for wet and high humidity areas.

You normally don't plaster it, as gypsum plasters soak up quickly. Its face is green and it's often used in kitchens and bathrooms.

In addition to this type, there’s another one with a similar purpose. It is called foam-backed plasterboard and it prevents condensation inside the walls.

Speaking of condensation, there’s another type that fixes this problem quite well. Foil-backed plasterboard, with metalized polyester foil, also serves as a soundproofing material for rooms.

The acoustics gets improved. It's also known as vapor barrier or vapor check plasterboard.

Having water crystalline molecules as an ingredient, plasterboard is already fire resistant. However, in places which require stringent fire protection, you need to be additionally cautious.

When plasterboard’s core is enriched with glass fiber or some other additive, it becomes even more efficient in fire protection.

That's fire resistant plasterboard, which comes with a pink face. You can either plaster or paint.

In areas such as public and commercial buildings, where damages are more likely to occur, impact plasterboard is the solution. It is durable, tough and load carrying capacity is at a high level.

Recently, manufacturers have developed multi-purpose plasterboard called 4-in-1 Plasterboard.

Besides being used as normal plasterboard, it is fire, water, and impact resistant.

More on acoustic plasterboard 

Speaking of the color of the acoustic plasterboard, one face is brown and the other is ivory. Which one will you plaster, it’s entirely up to you.

People usually choose to plaster over the brown and paint over the ivory side, but the other way round is fine as well.

As for the weight, many factors, such as size and density, determine that. If there are some additives or additional layers of other insulation materials, it may slightly influence the weight, but minimally indeed.

One sheet usually goes about 18 to 40 kgs.

If measuring thickness, there are two sizes 9.5 and 12.5 mm. As for the size, the width is between 0.9 and 1.2 m  and the length between 1.8 and 3.6 m.

Plasterboard edges can be either tapered or square.

The first one, which tapers in thickness towards the edges is ideal for skimming or jointing, while the other is usually used for textured finishes.

And lastly, most of you are probably wondering what’s the acoustic plasterboard cost? Even though they’re a bit pricier than regular plasterboard – they’re not as expensive and you’d be able to find them priced anywhere between $20 to $100 per board (depends on the size).

And whether you’re looking to soundproof ceiling or reduce noise coming from the other side of your walls – there are plasterboards of all sizes that are ideal for both walls and ceiling.

A brief instruction on acoustic plasterboard installation

The whole process is rather simple, since there are only two steps, cutting and installing.

First, determine the dimensions and use a stanley knife to cut it easily. When cutting’s finished, knock it gently from behind. At this point, plasterboard should bend where it’s cut.

Now run the stanley knife through the back, on the bending place, and cut the paper.

There are two ways how to install plasterboard on the wall. One is to dot and dab it.

You can additionally use Green glue, which, being an acoustic adhesive compound will serve as additional sound dampening layer. Read more about Green Glue here.